Monday

16

February 2015

Vegetarian Lasagne

Written by Rachel, Posted in Cheese, Dinner, Eggs, Fruit, Herbs, Main Dishes, Pasta, Roasting, Vegetables, Vegetarian

I think that homemade pasta is one of the most rewarding things to eat. Maybe after baguettes… maybe tied. In any case, gosh it’s good. Every time I make it I swear that I’m never buying pasta again (and then I totally do). Since homemade lasagne is one of Tim’s favorite meals, I know that I’ve always got a winner on my hands when I combine the two.

If you’re not quite up to the homemade pasta challenge, that’s totally fine. But, if you are, I used a recipe from Alana Chernila’s cookbook, The Homemade Pantry. It turned out great. In the past, I’ve used another recipe that called for waaaaay more eggs. I thought that this one tasted just as good, and it only called for three eggs. Winner.

Making homemade pasta is a seriously time consuming task. It’s well worth it though. It was nice to be forced to do just one thing. To stand and wait for the pasta to roll through the attachment that I have for my KitchenAid. How often am I still, just listening to the food as it’s being shaped? Not often enough.

Maybe because I was already tuned in, I noticed the way the sage popped and crackled after I took it out of the pan of hot browned butter.

Things like this make my heart a little bit lighter.

Once the pasta was rolled out and drying, once the sage was cooked and set aside, fresh greens were chopped up for the tomatoey sauce. Tons of greens. I used chard, collards, and white choi. Any greens that you have on hand will do just fine.

Now, here’s where I need to make a small note. I used diced tomatoes in the greens. My preference would be tomato sauce. But, since I’d already spent like five hours on the dish at this point, I didn’t want to take an extra ten minutes to blend the tomatoes. Tim didn’t mind them diced though. So, just a note that you could do it either way, and I think it would be great. Ok? Ok.

I roasted some butternut squash. This recipe needs about the equivalent of one large squash. I had two on the counter, so I roasted them both at the same time. One for this dish, another to go in the freezer for another time. The squash is mixed with some salt and pepper. Easy.

I went simple when it came to the cheese in this dish. You could also add mozzarella or ricotta (or both!), if you want to. I’m not usually opposed to more cheese, ever. But, parmesan is what I had in the fridge, and I’m trying to be better at using what we have on hand.

I let the pasta dry while I cooked up the tomatoes and greens. Then, once everything else was ready, the pasta got a quick dunk in some boiling water. Just for a minute, if it’s fresh pasta (if you’re using store bought, follow the instructions on the package).

And finally, assembly time (which means closer to eating time). Greens in the bottom, noodle, squash, cheese, repeat. I made two individual ramekins for dinner, and then a loaf pan sized one to put into the freezer for another day. You could also make an 8x8ish pan and I think the amount of ingredients would come out about the same.

The lasagne is served topped with those crunchy sage leaves and a squeeze of lemon.

Happy Eating!

Vegetarian Lasagne

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Yield: 4

Vegetarian Lasagne

Ingredients

1 t olive oil
1 butternut squash, halved, seeds removed
10-12 lasagne noodles, fresh if you have them
2 T butter, divided
8 sage leaves
6-8 C greens (any greens will do: chard, collards, red or white choi, bok choy, kale, spinach, Tokyo bekana, mizuna...)
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 T balsamic vinegar
2-3 C diced tomatoes (or 3 C tomato sauce)
to taste salt
to taste pepper
pinch cayenne
1 1/2 C parmesan cheese, grated
lemon slices, for serving

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Drizzle squash with olive oil. Place cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast for 60 minutes (or until flesh pierces easily with a fork). Scoop out flesh and mix with some salt and pepper.
While squash roasts, heat skillet over medium heat. Add 1 T butter. Fry sage, 1 minute per side. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Add 1 T butter to the sage skillet and turn the heat down to medium-low. Add greens, salt, and pepper. Wilt down, turning often, for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add balsamic vinegar and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomatoes through cayenne. Increase heat to medium and simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Par cook lasagne noodles in boiling salted water for about 1 minute (fresh) (or according to package directions for store bought). Remove with a slotted spoon and spread out on a plate.
In a greased 8x8 or 9x9 oven proof pan (or 2 individual ramekins and 1 loaf pan), spread a bit of the tomato mixture on the bottom, top with a noodle, a scoop of squash, and some cheese. Repeat 4 or 5 times, or until pan is full or ingredients are gone, ending with squash and cheese.
Bake for about 30 minutes.
Serve topped with crumbled sage leaves and a squeeze of lemon.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/vegetarian-lasagne/

Monday

9

February 2015

0

COMMENTS

Loaded Chicken and Rice Soup

Written by Rachel, Posted in Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Herbs, Leftovers, Lunch, Main Dishes, Meat, One Dish Dinners, Poultry, Quick and Easy, Rice, Soups, Vegetables

I’m a sucker for a good bowl of soup. I think we’ve had three different kinds over the past four days. I love it. I can’t get enough of it. It can be hearty and filling, or a light start to a meal. It can be simple, like French Onion, or have a myriad of ingredients. Soups are a great way to get loads of veggies into a meal, and they’re a fabulous place to hide leftovers. Yes, soups are my favorite.

This one is no different. The goal was to make a veggie laden, leftover using, Chicken and Rice Soup.

It started with carrots and radishes. The carrots were fresh from this week’s box of produce. The radishes were extra from another meal, that I’d chopped and frozen so they wouldn’t go to waste.

We’re getting so many greens in our boxes that I’ve been making a lot of Stir Fry, like this Red Choi Stir Fry from the other week. I’d planned ahead and made double the rice, so there were leftovers for the soup.

Winner winner, chicken and rice soup for dinner.

After the initial veggies were fairly tender, everything else joined them in the soup pot. I made some Sliced Roasted Butternut Squash for dinner last night, to go along with some chicken thighs that I par-cooked on the stovetop, then finished in the oven. I used the leftovers from both in the soup.

Leftovers 0, Rach 3.

After everything bubbled around for a while (but not too long, since it was all cooked already), I added some milk. I used coconut milk, because I had some that I needed to use up. Use whatever kind you have on hand. The milk just needs to warm through for a minute or two. Don’t let it boil, or the soup may break.

And then, for the finishing touches, I stirred in some fresh parsley and a knob of butter.

This soup is best eaten with your favorite someone or alone standing at the kitchen island while you read a book. Fresh bread is essential for dipping and sopping up anything the spoon leaves behind. A slice of lemon is a perfect way to brighten a bit – just squeeze over top right before eating.

And, if it’s possible, this soup may be even better the next day (or a few days later – it freezes well).

Happy Eating!

Loaded Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients

1-2 T olive oil
1 C carrot (or parsnip), chopped
1 C radish (or cauliflower), chopped
to taste, salt
3 cloves garlic, diced
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 t dried rosemary (or 1 t fresh), broken or chopped
1 t fresh thyme (or 1/2 t dried)
1/2 t paprika
1 C cooked chicken, chopped or shredded (I used leftovers)*
2 C rice, cooked (I used leftovers)***
2-3 C greens (like hon tsai tai, komatsuna, Tokyo bekana, chard, kale, collards, or spinach), chopped
1 1/2-2 C winter squash, chopped (I used leftovers)**
5-6 C chicken stock
1 C milk (any kind)
1-2 T fresh parsley, chopped
1 T unsalted butter (optional)
lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

(*If you're not using leftover chicken, cook it now, let it cool slightly, remove from bones and shred or chop.)
Heat a soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the oil and when it's hot, add the carrots through salt (**unless you're using uncooked winter squash - if you are, add it now). Cook for 7-9 minutes, or until veggies are relatively tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in balsamic vinegar, cook for 1 minute.
Add rosemary through stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 13 minutes, or until veggies are tender (***if you're not using leftover rice, also add 1/2 C raw brown rice now, along with an extra 1 C stock and cook until rice is tender). Add milk and cook for 2 minutes more (do not boil).
Remove from heat and stir in parsley and butter. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/loaded-chicken-and-rice-soup/

Thursday

29

January 2015

0

COMMENTS

Red Choi Stir Fry with Tofu and Almonds

Written by Rachel, Posted in Dairy-Free, Dinner, Lunch, Main Dishes, Nuts, Pasta, Quick and Easy, Quinoa, Rice, Sauces, Vegetables, Vegetarian

It makes me super happy when I’ve made something that’s loaded with veggies, and Tim, unprompted, tells me how much he likes it. What a guy! Good thing he liked it so much (even the tofu!), because I am sold.

First of all, tofu is a cheap way to get some protein into a dish. I know, I know, not everyone is crazy about soy. So, if you’re not a tofu fanatic, that’s awesome too! Be who you are, right?! If you’d like, add some chicken instead, Tempeh is great too (but also a soybean product), beef and pork would also be super yum. Or, go totally vegetarian and add some more nuts (even a scoop of peanut or almond butter mixed into the sauce would be great).

See how easy that was?! Substitution central over here. This is one where there’s something for everyone.

Oh yeah, and if you’re vegan, omit the fish sauce. (No duh, Rachel. You knew that… We taught our 2 year old niece to say, “No duh, Uncle Tim” over the holidays. It was one of the highlights of the trip. Especially when she started saying it to Oma too.) I’d planned to make this a vegan dish. I was going to add some honey, then remembered that some vegans don’t eat honey. I finished cooking and realized that fish sauce is obviously not vegan. Eye roll and shrug of the shoulders. I can’t expect my brain to work perfectly all the time. 😉

This is my go-to stir fry sauce. It’s simple. Soy sauce (or a gluten-free version, which tastes remarkably similar), fish sauce, and rice vinegar. Sometimes I use cornstarch and water, to act as a thickener. Either way, we think it tastes great.

Stir Fry is one of those awesome meals for using up whatever veggies are hanging out in the fridge. It’s also a way to pack in many many veggies, but can also be great if you’ve just got broccoli and an onion left at the end of the week. My goal, this time, was to find a way to use the red choi. The rest of the veggies are kinda just a bonus. Plus, it’s a great dish for cabbage using up. And, tastes great with an Asian slaw on the side. Yep, do it, get your cabbage on!

Anoooooother reason I love Stir Fry, it’s so incredibly quick to prepare. Veggies cook over higher heat, so they cook fast and retain their bright color. A friend gave me a wok, so now I don’t throw veggies all over the stove.

Don’t forget, keep those veggies moving. High heat means they’re gonna burn if you leave them unattended.

Once the veggies are cooked (see how greeeeeeeen they are still!?), sauce goes in, cooks for like 2 minutes more, and then you’re done!

You could stand there and eat it out of the wok. Totally fine with me.

But, maybe a better option is to scoop some rice onto a plate, slide some tofu next to it, and pile on those veggies.

If you’ve already eaten 5 pieces of the crispy tofu, I understand. I may have done the same.

May have.

Happy Eating!

Red Choi Stir Fry with Tofu and Almonds

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 21 minutes

Total Time: 31 minutes

Yield: 2-4

Red Choi Stir Fry with Tofu and Almonds

Ingredients

1 C brown rice (rice noodles, quinoa, or bulgur wheat would also be great)
2 C water
1 block firm tofu, sliced about 1/8" to 1/4" thick
to taste salt
pinch cayenne
pinch ginger
2 t olive oil, divided
1 T soy sauce
1 T rice vinegar
1/4 C cold water
1 T cornstarch
pinch ginger
2 T olive oil
1/4 C carrots or celery, thinly sliced
1-2 C broccoli or cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
2-4 T radish, thinly sliced
1 C cabbage (or collard greens or kale), chopped
1 head red choi stems, chopped
(could also add: snap peas, bean sprouts, green beans, summer squash, butternut squash)
pinch salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 head red choi leaves, chopped
2 T almonds, chopped, for serving

Instructions

Cook rice.
While rice cooks, sprinkle both sides of the tofu with salt, cayenne, and ginger. Heat skillet over medium to medium-high heat, add 1 t olive oil, when it's hot add tofu, working in batches so the pan isn't overcrowded, cook for about 2-3 minutes per side (or until sides are browned and crispy), adding more oil as needed. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel lined plate.
Whisk together soy sauce through ginger. Set aside.
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 T olive oil. When oil is hot, add carrots through salt. Cook, stirring constantly (picking veggies up with tongs and moving them around works best for me), for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and red choi leaves and cook for about 2 minutes more.
Stir in sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes (or until sauce has thickened).
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Serve over rice, topped with chopped almonds.

Notes

If it's not essential for this to be vegetarian, 1 t fish sauce is a good addition to the sauce.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/red-choi-stir-fry-with-tofu-and-almonds/

P.S. Those leftovers, plomp it all together in a pan and heat it up. The rice will love the sauce, and get a little bit crispy and extra yummy.

Monday

8

December 2014

0

COMMENTS

Cannellini and Beet Green Soup with Feta

Written by Rachel, Posted in Beans, Cheese, Dinner, Gluten Free, Herbs, Legumes, Lunch, Main Dishes, One Dish Dinners, Soups, Vegetarian

CannelliniBeetGreenSoup-12

Let me tell you how my day was. It was fine. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. Nobody made me take a late lunch break. No one threw out the food I’d brought for lunch. I just waited too long to eat all on my own. When it came time to make the soup for this post, I was waaaaay too hungry to wait for it to finish cooking. So I ate a big pile of crackers with peanut butter and jam on them.

And then I made the soup.

CannelliniBeetGreenSoup-1

It’s a simple one, made with humble ingredients. Beginning with a mirepoix, which is just a fancy way of saying the traditional French flavor base for many dishes: carrot, celery, and onion. This soup included. Not because it’s a fussy soup. It’s just what I had on hand.

CannelliniBeetGreenSoup-2

Veggies sit for a bit in a hot pot (are you saying “hot pot hot pot hot pot hot pot” out loud now too? No? Ok.) with some salt and pepper. They are stirred occasionally. They get all tender and delicious. Garlic is added. Because it always should be. Then a bit of red wine vinegar is used to deglaze the pan.

CannelliniBeetGreenSoup-3

I made a zillion cups of veggie stock the other week. I wondered how I’d use it all before I had enough veggie scraps to make more. Then two of the jars cracked in the freezer (which I’d found as I prepared for this soup, oh yay) and I only had half a zillion to use.

I don’t know if the lesson is to not use glass containers for veggie stock in the freezer. It was cold, and I left plenty of room at the top, these ones just expanded sideways for some reason… Bummer.

CannelliniBeetGreenSoup-4

The stock was partially frozen still, even after defrosting in the fridge for a day. No big deal if it is. It’ll boil eventually.

CannelliniBeetGreenSoup-5

And the house will get all warm and cozy and soup smelling-y.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned yet, in this post, how much I love that it’s finally cold.

Cold being a relative term – I’m talking cold like it’s in the 50’s at night, not cold like my brother, Josh, is experiencing, where it’s -19C/-2F.

But, it still needs to be said.

I love this season.

CannelliniBeetGreenSoup-6

I love the root veggies that I’m totally craving. The warm comfort foods that don’t make me sweat while I’m eating. The oven that can be turned on without having the AC on ~~full blast~~ at all.

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This soup would actually work well in the summer months. It feels light, while being full of beany protein, subtle oregano, and bright beet greens. But, let’s forget about summer for now. I’m totally into this chilly, cloudy weather. It makes me want to skip with glee.

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The soup is finished off with a pat of butter. If you’re making this a vegan version, just drizzle some good quality olive oil onto each bowlful as you serve it (and skip the part later on where I talk about cheese… or use your favorite vegan cheeeeeese).

CannelliniBeetGreenSoup-9

Butter gives the soup a glossy, creamy feel.

CannelliniBeetGreenSoup-10

The last thing you must do before the soup can be eaten: top with a bit of feta. Trust me. This makes the soup. (Vegans, remember your instructions from before?)

CannelliniBeetGreenSoup-11

Of course, it might have also been great with a huge stack of crackers for dipping. But, I ate all the crackers at first lunch. It would be wonderful with a freshly made baguette, but we’re fresh out. So, it’s just good on its own, standing at the kitchen island, eating as if I hadn’t just eaten thirty five pb&j crackerwiches.

Happy Eating!

Cannellini and Beet Green Soup with Feta

Ingredients

2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, chopped (or mixture of carrot and radish)
to taste, salt
to taste, pepper
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 T red wine vinegar
4-5 C vegetable stock
1-15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 t dried oregano (or 1 T fresh), crushed (could substitute 1 T fresh dill, chopped)
1 C (1 bunch) beet greens (washed well, including stems, to save for stock), chopped (or kale, spinach, or chard)
1/2 T lemon juice
1 t unsalted butter
feta, crumbled, for topping

Instructions

Heat a soup pot. Add oil. When oil is hot, add onion through pepper. Cook over medium-low heat for about 9-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vinegar and cook for another minute.
Add the stock, beans, and oregano. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the beet greens and cook for 10 minutes more.
Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and then lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
Serve topped with feta.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/cannellini-and-beet-green-soup-with-feta/

Thursday

4

December 2014

0

COMMENTS

How to Make Pesto – Part 3 – Mint Pesto

Written by Rachel, Posted in Condiments, Dairy-Free, Fruit, Gluten Free, Herbs, How To, Quick and Easy, Sauces, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

It’s time for another pesto installment. I still can’t believe that I hadn’t made pesto before I tried my hand at Basil Pesto, the more traditional pesto. Then came the Kale Pesto, a bright, green tasting treasure.

But, recently, I’ve been loving mint. I love mint so much that I stuck a few sprigs in some dirt to see if they’d grow.

They did!

I have more mint growing outside than I know what to do with. And I’m fine with that.

I thought I’d highlight the cool mint flavor with just a few ingredients. No nuts or cheese this time. Just some lemon, garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, and olive oil. (But, if you wanted to add nuts, almonds, pine nuts, pistachios, or cashews would be a great choice.)

Simple.

Since I have a tiny food processor-like attachment to my hand blender, I just put everything in at the same time and blend. You could also stream the olive oil in as you blend, if you have a blender or regular food processor. I think it worked just fine the way I did it though.

You could adjust the amount of liquid (or add more mint) if this isn’t thick enough for you. But, I liked the way it turned out.

I have so much pesto in my freezer that I’m going to have to start including it in my weekly menu, every week.

What a problem to have, right?!

I’m going to eat it with a baguette that’s topped with feta. Yes. I’m gonna do that. I’m going to drizzle it over roasted green beans and peas. I might toss it with pasta or rice (hello risotto!), with grilled eggplant, steamed carrots, or fresh tomatoes. I might make it into a salad dressing, add it to hummus, or use it to top soup. Or, like I did today, I may add it to a Greek Pasta Salad that’s got chickpeas, veggies, and feta.

Happy Eating!

Mint Pesto

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Mint Pesto

Ingredients

1 - 1 1/2 C packed mint (about 1 bunch)
1/4 C olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic
1 T lemon juice
1/2 to 1 t lemon zest
1 T balsamic vinegar
to taste salt

Instructions

Blend all ingredients for about 60 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the blender, taste and adjust seasoning if desired, and blend for about 30 seconds more.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/how-to-make-pesto-part-3-mint-pesto/

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How to Make Pesto – Part 3 – Mint Pesto

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